STARKVILLE — Figuring out Cody Brown’s position in the field can be a daily adventure — not that he minds.
When it comes to the lineup, there’s no moving Brown. He has proven to be too valuable as a cleanup hitter.
The Mississippi State baseball team (30-16, 14-7 Southeastern Conference) will look for Brown to continue his seven-game hitting streak at 6:30 tonight (ESPNU) when it takes on Texas A&M (33-13, 13-8) in Game 1 of its three-game SEC weekend series in College Station, Texas.
“In terms of his offensive approach, he’s stayed aggressive,” MSU coach Andy Cannizaro said of Brown, who has six RBIs in that streak. “He’s using the field. He’s hit home runs to dead center, he’s pulled the ball, opposite field home runs against Kentucky. He’s had a tremendous year, and I love having him hit in the four hole. He gives us a veteran at-bat. He usually doesn’t expand the strike zone. He can get a bunt down if we need him to.”
In the course of his seven-game hitting streak — all against SEC teams — Brown has had 18 of 34 at-bats with runners on base. It’s actually 26 plate appearances because he has led off an inning eight times.
Brown credits the production of the hitters ahead of him — Jake Mangum, Brent Rooker, and Ryan Gridley — for his opportunities. Mangum, Rooker, and Gridley have on-base percentages better than .399.
But Brown failed to mention was his production in those opportunities. Twelve of the 18 at-bats have come with at least one runner in scoring position. Brown is 5-for-10 with a home run, three doubles, and six RBIs.
“Just staying simple, getting good pitches to hit, things like that,” Brown said when asked to explain his success. “Batting in the four hole, I’m getting a lot of RBI opportunities, especially early in games. I’m just going up there with a free mind, getting a good pitch to hit and taking advantage of the opportunity when I get one.”
Brown also has shown he can be a tablesetter. In the eight plate appearances in the streak in which he has led off a half inning, he has reached base four times. He also scored the game-winning run against Alabama in the 13th inning April 21.
While Brown is settling into the cleanup spot, he’s doing the same at left field after starting at first base, second base, and third base. Second baseman Hunter Stovall’s broken hand could change that at Texas A&M, but Cannizaro praised Brown’s work in left field.
In moving from the infield to left field, Brown stepped into a position previously occupied by Brant Blaylock, who Cannizaro saw as a defensive plus.
“I joke with our coaches every now and then it’s just like riding a bike,” Brown said. “Wherever I’m at, I feel comfortable. It starts at practice, fielding ground balls, taking fly balls off the machine or anything like that. Once the lights turn on, it’s pretty natural for me.”
n NOTES: Cannizaro said Konnor Pilkington will start on the mound tonight, but he didn’t name the Bulldogs’ starters for the remaining two games of the series. In the previous two weeks, Cannizaro announced Cole Gordon and Jacob Billingsley as starters, but they combined for six innings in their last starts. … Stovall could be back sooner than previously expected, Cannizaro said. Cannizaro confirmed Stovall suffered a clean break in his hand against Auburn and will be in a hard cast for the next seven to 10 days before moving to a brace. At that point, Stovall’s return will be based on pain tolerance. Cannizaro hopes Stovall can return for the LSU series to end the regular season or the SEC tournament. … Jake Mangum is done pitching, “certainly for the forseeable future,” Cannizaro said. Mangum, who took a few Sunday starts early in the SEC schedule, hasn’t pitched since breaking his left hand against Kentucky. He has continued to play center field and to bat leadoff with the broken hand.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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